“Then, Langley Vaughn, you officially have a date to the wedding from hell, with the devil wearing a tux.”
Girl in Luv surprised me.
On the surface, it’s a fast-paced, contemporary romance. Langley is a woman betrayed and bruised by love. Iker is the charming but complicated military man with baggage of his own. Under the fake-dating setup and sharp dialogue, though, this story is about something deeper: reclaiming your voice after someone tried to silence it.
Langley doesn’t want to be saved. She wants to remember she was strong all along. And Iker? He’s the kind of hero who doesn’t swoop in on a white horse—he just shows up, scars and all.
💙 What Worked
Emotional Depth
For a novella, Girl in Luv carries surprising weight. There’s heartbreak, yes—but also resilience. I highlighted far more quotes than expected.
Themes of worthiness, trust, and the courage to walk away from half-love run through every chapter. The fake-dating-to-falling trope is well-executed here, but what lingers is the emotional growth.
Langley and Iker come from completely different worlds. They are united by the longing to be seen—truly seen—for who they are. They desire to be appreciated for their true selves, not who others expect them to be. This theme resonates throughout the book. There’s a quote that really stuck with me:
“I don’t need someone to protect me. I needed someone to give me the strength to finally protect myself.”
That moment is the heartbeat of the story. Langley doesn’t want saving—she wants to remember she was strong all along.
And Iker? He’s not your classic romance hero. He’s messy. Defensive. Scarred. But beneath the bravado, there’s longing and loyalty and the need to be seen. One moment that stuck with me was:
“When you grow up with nothing, you tend to hold onto the things you treasure with both hands.”
Dual POV & Voice
This is a co-authored book, but it doesn’t feel like it. The dual POV is seamless. You never get pulled out of the story trying to remember whose voice you’re in or noticing writing inconsistencies—a win for any collaboration.
⚠️ What Fell Short
Stronger as One Novel
This is the first of a duet, and while I enjoyed it enough to purchase book two immediately, it did feel like an unnecessary split. Combining both novellas into a single novel might have allowed the emotional arcs to unfold more fully—and avoided a jarring “to be continued” moment.
Side Characters and Realism
Langley is sometimes too forgiving, and her father’s obliviousness stretched believability. A few of the side characters could have used more nuance, which would’ve made the emotional beats hit even harder. Also? Iker’s brother is begging for a spin-off.
Language
I didn’t love the profanity. Some moments could’ve landed harder without the f-bomb, and instead it distracted from the otherwise powerful dialogue. That’s a personal preference, but one worth noting for readers who lean toward cleaner romance.
✍️ Final Thoughts
“If you’re the one holding the pen, you’re the one in charge of how the story ends. Don’t forget that.”
That quote? It lives rent-free in my head.
Girl in Luv is about what happens after the fairy tale shatters. When you realize no one is coming to save you, and you have to decide if you’re enough (spoiler: you are). It’s messy, real, and quietly empowering.
“We were so close to being… perfect, but couldn’t make it past the test.”
This book is for anyone who has had to walk away from something they wanted in order to claim what they deserved. It’s fiction, but the ache is real—and so is the hope.
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📖 Explore More in the Library
Want more reads that explore love, loss, and fighting for your own ending? Head to the Library and explore more.